The Indian River varsity softball team had been up and down, entering the Easter break, but the girls followed up with some wins, including a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over conference rival Milford on Tuesday, April 21. The Lady Indians tacked on a 5-2 win just days earlier, after traveling to Red Lion Christian Academy last Saturday, and now sit at 7-3 on the season with plenty of tests ahead.

“We’re still dealing with an adversity,” noted first-year, head coach Chris Megee. “I think there was a difference in the Milford game between the first four innings and last three. We came out a little flat, but we’re starting to learn the intensity it takes, not only on the field but in the dugout.”

The momentum started to shift after a two-run homer gave the Lady Buccaneers an early lead.

The Lady Indians rallied back and kept the score close, turning it up in the later innings. Hard shots to the outfield and consistent base running kept the scoreboard even from both sides. With a deadlocked 6-6 score entering the bottom of the regular innings, the Lady Indians knew they had to finish strong.

“I told the girls to relax,” said Megee. “We’ve done it before, and we were able to lead off with a double.”

That was followed up with two intentional walks, loading the bases for senior second-baseman Lindsay McCabe. A sharp drive down the third base line caught a glove but skipped past, sealing up the final run to end the game.

“I liked the fact that they walked our leadoff batters to get to me,” said McCabe. “It made me more pumped to get the game over with.”

McCabe went 3-4 in the Red Lion game, again proving herself as a viable asset on the team.

Despite Red Lion’s double header and 20-strikeout win over Pencader Charter moments earlier, Indian River stepped up to the challenge. They managed 15 strikeouts against the Lady Indians, although the 10 hits IR managed to pick up were just enough to grab the 5-2 win.

“We have to take one game at a time,” said McCabe. “We don’t want to dwell too much on a win, and we need to be ready.”

Megee couldn’t be happier with the way his co-captain has been representing the team.

“Lindsay’s been playing out of her mind,” he said. “We can’t expect it to happen every game, but this is the second game where she’s had a walk-off hit or done something to win the game for us.”

In addition, he’s seeing consistency throughout the bullpen, a fact that will likely fall in IR’s favor every time.

“We’re putting the bat on the ball when we making swings,” he said, “and if you can get 10 hits in a game, you have a chance to win. I don’t care where it comes from, but some has to come from the five-hitter on down. We’re starting to get that. There’s a new hero each game, and every time we’re out there, someone else is contributing. It’s great for team chemistry. We’re not waiting on one person or two people to come through. Everybody’s saying they want to be that one person.”

Among those showing composure at the plate are Alyssa Hudson, Taylor Wharton, Carleigh Walter and Amanda Horton.

“They’re all finding ways of being aggressive,” Megee noted.

“We’re playing together really well,” said McCabe. “Our hitting’s been a lot better. We’re doing well with our sixth to ninth batter, too. I’m helping the team and make sure they don’t get too worried about the count. You can’t afford to be scared to get two strikes on you when you’re at the plate. You need to be mentally prepared and not doubt yourself.”

While the girls’ mindset has been on the rise, Megee credited his coaching staff with the favorable turnaround in the teams’ games, as well.

“Chuck Shockley and Mark Sewell have really been helping out,” Megee said. “Chuck is working hard with the bottom of the lineup, getting them to be productive. Whether it’s using the slap hit or push bunt or simply sacrificing our runners and getting the ******* squeezes, the bottom of the lineup is starting to find their own identity. They are not only getting back up to top but doing something productive when they’re at the plate. It’s a good mix.

“Sewell is doing a good job establishing inside fastball with our pitchers. He’s getting the kids to believe in his philosophy. These guys are helping to make the wins happen, and that’s where most credit should be going.”

The Lady Indians hoped to better their record on Thursday, April 23, when they traveled to Sussex Central for one of the season’s most anticipated rivalries.

“It gives us a chance for us to showcase what we have,” said Megee. “It’s an opportunity to see where we stand. Central played Smyrna in a 1-0 game, and we beat them 4-3. As long as we show up, play hard and start off the way we ended against Milford, we have a chance in every game we play in.”

Next week, Megee and his squad will prepare for three games in the middle of the week, starting with Laurel at home on Tuesday.

“We’re growing,” he said, “but we’re in the middle of it now. We’re trying to win whatever we can. The light’s starting to come on, and instead of listening to what coach says and hoping they believe in themselves, they’re actually saying, ‘We can do this. Why not us?’ We play one of toughest schedules in state, and we don’t hide from anybody. As Howard Smack said to the baseball team, ‘Respect all, but fear none.’ That applies here, too.”

He’s hoping to use that momentum to get the team closer to the conference title and, eventually, into the state playoffs.

“The easiest way to get to the playoffs is to win your division,” he observed. “The Southern Division is very important to us. It would be nice to be in contention for the Henlopen Conference, but our main goal is to win the Southern Division, get into playoffs and let the chips fall from there.

“There are good teams in the north and ones we want to get to, and we’ll get our chance,” he continued. “I’ve always believed you will always win one you shouldn’t have and lose one you shouldn’t have each season. We were meant to beat Milford, so I’m still waiting for the one we’re going to steal from someone and break their heart.”

The Lady Indians take on Laurel at home at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28. They will travel to Caravel Academy for a 4 p.m. start on Wednesday and then play at Woodbridge on Thursday, April 30, at 4:15 p.m.

This week and last have marked the busiest part of Indian River’s 2009 tennis schedule, with some of their most pivotal matches on the horizon. Both the boys’ and girls’ varsity tennis teams will play for a shot at the conference, with games hanging in the balance.

“Our guys are looking good,” said boys’ head coach Pat Cicala, “but we’ve got some tough matches ahead of us.”

The Indians had Wednesday, Thursday and Friday matches on their schedule this week, with challenging games against Dover and Seaford by the end of next week.

“The winner of the match against Dover next Thursday will have a good shot at the conference championship,” said Cicala this week.

They’ll look to follow up on Friday, May 1, with a better showing against Seaford, who defeated the Indians 3-2 in late March.

“We’d like to get some practices in,” he added, “and, as long as we play well against Caesar Rodney (on March 22, after Coastal Point deadline), we will be looking good.”

The game against CR was pending on Wednesday, due to rainy weather, but whenever the re-match is held, it will likely be another test for the Indians’ team.

“The score is going to be 3-2 or 2-3, however you look at it,” Cicala noted. “It could go either way. It’s definitely not going to be a blowout. It’s just a matter of who comes out wanting it more.”

The boys’ varsity team will be down one of their second-doubles players, due to a vacation, so Matt Grey and Nick Izzo will be holding the position for the patter part of this week. Other than that, the lineup looks to stay the same entering the most hectic weeks for the team.

Seniors Brendon Young, Zack Kmetz and Chris Conover will assume roles at the first-, second- and third-singles positions, respectively, as the first-doubles team of seniors Zach Izzo and Eric Linde hope to represent their team well.

“We’ve been playing well this year,” said Cicala. “We would be 5-0, but we gave up the match to Seaford earlier this season. They’re definitely big contenders. There are four teams out there, including us, that have some great players.”

If practices are any indication of the team’s mental preparedness, Cicala has nothing to worry about.

“I’m amazed watching these kids play today, compared to when they came out at the start of the year,” he said. “They’ve shown me 200 percent improvement, both on the courts and in their classes. They’re devoted to school, too.”

The senior class on the roster has already been accepted to four-year colleges, and the majority rank within the top 20 of their class. They are all members of the National Honor Society, as well. As for the schedule, the back-to-back-to-back games shouldn’t hinder them, according to their coach.

“It’s fine,” Cicala said. “We practice like we play. The guys show no difference between game situations and practice. They don’t talk about it. They just do it. These games are a great preparation for Dover.”

Indian River’s girls’ varsity tennis team has some competition ahead of them, as well.

“The girls didn’t get to play much over the Easter break,” said head coach Karen Oliphant, “and now we have two full weeks coming back.”

Like the boys, the girls were scheduled to round out this week with Wednesday, Thursday and Friday matches against Caesar Rodney, Smyrna and Milford, before turning around next week to play four more of their own. After dropping games earlier this year to Cape Henlopen and Seaford, the girls are shooting for a strong showing as the schedule’s bulk barrels down upon them.

“We’re going with the same lineup,” said Oliphant. “There are not many changes. We hope to win over Smyrna and Milford this week, but we’ve got our eye on the prize against Seaford next Friday. That’s the match that the conference really comes down to.”

A win could possibly nab the conference title for the Lady Indians for the first time in the school’s history from Seaford. Lake Forest and Milford are the only the other conference rivals, and IR’s 5-0 showings against both teams earlier this year was a promising one.

“We did well against both of those teams,” said Oliphant. “Our girls played competitive, and their confidence is up. We just have to maintain.”

The girls’ first-doubles team of Taylor Rosenblit and Samantha Trueting remained undefeated as of Tuesday.

“They’ve proven that they could be competitive at the state level,” said Oliphant. “That team really chases the dream, not the competition. Our girls really want it, and they work well together.”

Ramsey Ruether will be returning to the courts at the first-singles position, while Jocelyn Hazzard and Brittany Baker maintain second- and third-singles. Casey Hull and Alyssa Wlosinski hope to bring some wins to the Indians’ team at second-doubles, too.

They’re also hoping that they won’t have additional weather-reschduled games added.

Cripple Creek Golf Course General Manager and golf pro Brian Trout will have even more reason to celebrate next month, as if the course turning 25 years old this summer wasn’t enough. Last week, Cripple Creek was selected to host the Henlopen Conference Golf Championship at the end of the high-school season, for the first time in the club’s history.

“We’re very excited that we can bring something like this to the area,” said Trout. “Usually, the championship is held farther upstate, toward Dover. It’s great to bring them here and give our club that exposure.”

The Henlopen Conference includes two divisions: the Henlopen North Conference, which encompasses Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen, Dover, Polytech, Smyrna, Sussex Central and Sussex Tech high schools, and the Henlopen South, which contains Delmar, Lake Forest, Laurel, Milford, Seaford, Woodbridge and Indian River, whose golf team calls Cripple Creek home.

“It’s nice to have some of the best golfers in the state playing at our course,” Trout said, “but we’re even more excited to have the Indian River team play here as their home course. It’s a great way to get the love of the game out to a younger crowd.”

Last year, the Indians fell short of the Henlopen South title by mere strokes, but things are looking up.

“This should be a big boost for our Indian River golf team,” said second-year head coach Paris Mitchell of the championship landing at the team’s home course. “It could be an advantage for us, but the advantage only goes so far. We’ll need to bring our ability to play against these teams.”

The Indians, coming off of two wins in their last three games, including an impressive showing over Delmar, will head back into conference match-ups after their spring break.

“Hosting the conference tournament here gives all the other teams a chance to see the course,” Mitchell added, “and gives our athletes an opportunity to see these athletes. It ought to be a great experience. I know Brian’s excited about it.”

Trout said he hopes to submit a bid for the state championship to be held at Cripple Creek, as well.

“An event like the conference championship really draws attention to the area,” Trout added. “There are a lot of good courses around here, but we don’t want to just stop there.”

Trout spent years upstate as the golf pro at the Wilmington Country Club before relocating to Cripple Creek.

“Wilmington has a huge junior golf program,” he noted, “which is something I’m really pushing for. We haven’t reached the numbers here, but bringing the tournament here gives the youth not only a quality course to play on, but gives team a place to practice and learn, and allows students and schools to benefit.

“A tournament like this isn’t necessarily a big source of revenue, but it’s worth its weight in gold, due to the kind of exposure it brings. Our main goal is to promote and grow the game of golf,” Trout emphasized. “We’d like for young athletes to continue later in life as members of the club, and this is the way to do it.”

The Henlopen Conference Championship will be held at Cripple Creek on May 21.

In their three games this season, the Indian River varsity baseball team has averaged 12 runs per game and let up a combined total of three – a recipe for perfection. The 3-0 Indians are now ready to buckle down after dismantling Caesar Rodney last Tuesday, 13-2.

Head coach Howard Smack said he was pleased to begin the night with returning pitcher Cory Showalter, who sat out the first two games due to a minor injury. Showalter kept the Riders’ fans do a dull roar, allowing only one hit in his five innings of the game.

“Being his first time back,” said Smack, “it was a really good return for him.”

Freshman Jamey Jarmon rotated onto the mound, as well.

On the offense, the Indians remained on-point. Third-baseman Jake Buchler got the momentum going in the second as the Indians made consistent hits and rounded the bases for an early 6-0 lead. The game slipped away from hosting team Caesar Rodney as senior pitcher Luis Barrientos nailed a two-run home run in the fourth, before Buchler knocked in a two-run homer of his own.

“It was a real team effort from everybody,” said Smack. “We were batting consistently and getting on the bases when we needed to. They’re learning that we don’t need every single batter getting those big hits, as long as we stay consistent in the lineup. We’re really taking advantage of what’s being given to us.”

The undefeated Indians may be sitting pretty in their conference, but there’s no time to rest as they head into a competitive week of ball. They were set to face St. Mark’s on Thursday, April 2, (after Coastal Point press deadline), and host Delmar on Friday, April 3. They’ll turn around in a showdown against Sussex Tech on Monday, April 6.

“We were going into four games this week,” said Smack. “I’d love to win them all, but we have to come ready to play each one.”

The St. Mark’s game holds a strong rivalry with Indian River.

“If we don’t win it,” said Smack, “the world’s not over, but if you can games like that, it’s another feather in your cap. They have a very respectable program.”

Impending conference bouts could also help Indian River in the tournament at the end of the year.

“All we can do is go out there and play our best,” Smack added. “As long as we bring our A-game, we’ll be alright.”

The Indian River High School golf team was able to regain their footing on Tuesday against Red Lion Christian Academy, as they picked up their first win of the year after dropping early losses to Sussex Central and Sussex Tech.

Despite playing host at Cripple Creek to start the season against Central, the Indian River team slipped three strokes shy in their opening match. Days later, they failed to keep up with Tech at the Peninsula golf course, losing 186-164.

“After the losses, we started working on our short game,” said IR head coach Paris Mitchell. “That seemed to be where everyone was lacking. The greens between courses can be very different when it comes to the speed and the kind of day we’re having.”

IR stepped it up, though, and captured a welcomed 192-202 win at Red Lion’s Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Md. Although it wasn’t pretty, Mitchell said the victory will help the team’s morale.

“We didn’t play that well,” he said. “The scores indicate that much, but the team has picked their heads up a little more. Even though we lost at Tech, we improved our previous match by eight or nine strokes. The team is definitely coming around.”

The team’s lowest scores for two of the three matches have come courtesy of senior Rob Melson, who has been helping to keep the strokes down. Will Mulliken tied for low score at Tuesday’s match, and freshman Taylor Lewis has proven that she will be a strong contender on the team after an impressive round last week against Tech.

“Taylor had a rough one [on Tuesday],” said Mitchell, “but she’s feeling more comfortable with the team and is playing in the team concept. She’s used to individual tournaments, but she’s realizing all she has to do is play her competitor and not worry about everyone else. She knew we were expecting a lot from her, but she’s fitting in very well with the team.”

Based on the results at Chesapeake Bay, Mitchell noted that there were a number of things he hoped the team would improve on before their tri-match at Jonathan’s Landing in Magnolia, Del., on Wednesday, April 1 (after Coastal Point press deadline). The match was scheduled between Indian River, St. George’s and Polytech.

“Chesapeake Bay had some elevated greens and tees that posed different problems for individual players,” said Mitchell. “We’re trying to get to Magnolia early and work on a few things. We’d like to get a strong win here to put us back on a winning record.”

But, for Mitchell, the most important matches of the season are still to come.

“We will get into conference matches next Thursday,” he said. “By then, we’re hoping to get our scores down. We’ve had the time to look at our roster a little, and we’ve had about three guys floating back and forth, alternating in and out of the starting-six lineup. We’re finding our strengths and, hopefully, we’ll be ready.”

This past Thursday, the team hosted Cape Henlopen, and they will turn to the grind next week as they visit Caesar Rodney’s course at Wild Quail Country Club on Tuesday, April 7. Then, on Thursday, April 9, Delmar will visit Cripple Creek for a heated conference show-down. All games are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

“This is one of the more difficult sports to coach,” said Mitchell. “There’s not a lot you can do during a match. I just have to get it into their heads to trust themselves and their swings. Hopefully, they’ll make the adjustments as they need to.”

In their first three games of the season, the Lady Indians’ varsity soccer team has averaged over five goals a game and only let up one. They followed up last Saturday’s 4-1 win at Dover with another season victory that gave Polytech their first loss of the year. Senior midfielder Sarah Purdum and sophomore forward Caitlin Forte each contributed two goals against Dover, who, in their opening game this year, had shut out Lake Forest.

“That win was a nice one for us,” said Indian River head coach Steve Kilby. “We went in there knowing they were a measuring stick for us. Our girls took the game seriously, and they played well. Forte and Purdum really did a nice job controlling the game. We put Purdam up top when we saw the matchup was there against the Dover defense.”

Heading into Tuesday’s face-off with the Lady Panthers of Polytech, the Indians fought to maintain their undefeated record.

All six goals in Tuesday’s shut-out came in the first half, and all were knocked in by sophomores. Delaney Davis registered the first score of the game to give IR an early lead, and Emma Cannon followed up with another only two minutes later. Midfielder Morgan Warrington added a goal, while her sister Miranda topped the evening off with two and an assist. Forte set up two scores with assists and added a goal of her own in the victory. Purdum also had an assist in the evening.

“It feels good,” said Miranda Warrington, who leads the Lady Indians in shots but until Tuesday evening has been unable to find the back of the net. “It’s nice to get back in the swing of things and get going again, but I couldn’t have scored the goals without the girls behind me – Morgan [Warrington], Caitlin [Forte] and Sarah [Purdum] playing the great through-ball to the front line, and Delaney [Davis] and Courtney [Lake] on the outside playing the ball in. Everybody’s doing a great job. Our defense is working it up well, too.”

More than half of the team members are sophomores and freshmen, but the experience and teamwork are definitely there.

“We are young,” Miranda added, “but we are a close team. We like working together. A lot of people look at the younger guys and, starting this year, we needed to make sure we stepped up, but we’re doing that. Our seniors and juniors have big roles, but everyone has done their part well so far.”

With a comfortable lead by halftime, Kilby was once again able to move players around and move fresh legs onto the pitch.

“At half, I told them they could get two more,” he said, “and then I started controlling who went up top. Switching up a few positions and moving girls around seemed to work better than just playing possession.”

Despite a plentiful varsity roster of 24, including a handful of girls who split their time between the JV and varsity teams, every girl has seen some playing time in the first three games.

“We’ve cleared the bench in every game this year,” Kilby noted, “which is nice. For a couple of girls who play at both levels, there will be games when some don’t see the field. This helps in training and helps other players improve. Otherwise, they might not see the same opportunities they get in games that they do in practice.”

Though Polytech denied any additional shots from the Lady Indians in the second half, they were unable to answer back before the final minutes ticked down.

For Miranda Warrington, there is little doubt as to what the team has to do from the start of each opening whistle.

“We tell ourselves that every game begins 0-0,” she said. “We can’t take any game for granted. We need to come out for every single game, no matter who it is, and when we step out on the field each game, we’re ready to play.”

Four of the five goal-scorers on Tuesday netted their first points of the season that night.

“It’s nice to see some girls in the lineup getting some scores tonight,” said Kilby. “Miranda’s done a great job so far, and this ought to build her confidence a little more to get two tonight. Delaney [Davis] is a hard worker. You can see the pace she has, and I’m sure she will get more this year.”

Sophomore keeper Sarah Long picked up her second shutout of the year.

“Sarah Long has been a very pleasant surprise,” said Kilby. “In the last years, we had Taylor Mushrush and other senior keepers. Long is a sophomore, and that bodes well for us in the future.”

The Lady Indians looked to improve their record this week through another active week, facing Smyrna this past Thursday night (after Coastal Point press deadline), and hosting Tower Hill this Saturday, April 4, at 5:30 p.m. They will continue with Sussex Central on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m.

Smyrna will pose a threat to the Lady Indians, coming off 4-0 wins over Delaware Military and Lake Forest, and a 10-0 trouncing of Laurel.

One of the biggest challenges for Kilby and his squad, however, awaits their return from the Easter holiday, when they face Caesar Rodney, who has also not let up any goals in their first three games.

“It’s hard not to look ahead at the schedule,” said Kilby, “but we need to pace ourselves. We’re still trying to rebuild our defense. Even though haven’t given up many goals, we haven’t seen them switching the way we’re trying to get them to. We need to prepare ourselves.”